Gold futures climbed Thursday to mark their highest settlement in a week, buoyed by losses in global stock markets and expectations that the U.S. and China are headed for a prolonged trade dispute.
June gold added $11.20, or 0.9%, to settle at $1,285.40 an ounce on Comex.
Among other precious metals, silver rose 1.2% to $14.62 per ounce, while palladium edged 0.2% higher to $1,316.80. Platinum rose 0.2% to $800.52 an ounce, after touching the lowest since Feb. 15 at $791 earlier in the...

Shares tumbled in Hong Kong and Shanghai on Thursday as traders fret about growing tensions between China and the US, with tech and energy firms among the worst performers.
The Hang Seng Index dived 1.58 percent, or 438.81 points, to 27,267.13.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index sank 1.35 percent, or 39.18 points, to 2,852.52, while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, lost 2.43 percent, or 37.48 points, to 1,503.37.
Source : AFP

Tokyo stocks opened lower on Friday on worries over the US-China trade war as bellicose rhetoric persisted between Washington and Beijing, pushing the safe-haven yen higher against the dollar.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.94 percent, or 199.04 points, to 20,952.10 in early trade, while the broader Topix Index was down 0.86 percent or 13.26 points at 1,527.32.
Source: AFP

Stocks took a beating Thursday as investors worried that a U.S.-China trade war could drag on indefinitely and sap global growth.
The only good news was that the major indexes bounced off their lows in the last hour of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.1% or 286.14 to 25,490.47 . The S&P 500 slumped 1.2% or 34.65 to 2,821.62 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.6% or 122.56 to 7,628.28.
Stocks have succumbed to selling pressure in May after Washington and Beijing engaged in...

Oil prices plunged nearly 6% Thursday in this year's worst drop and the worst fall since the start of OPEC production cuts in December. The escalating U.S.-China trade war and huge crude pileups from weak refiner demand combined to roil the market.
West Texas Intermediate futures, the benchmark for U.S. crude, fell below key $60 per barrel support, settling down $3.51 , or 5.7%, at $57.91 per barrel.
London Brent futures, the global benchmark for oil, lost its $70-per-barrel perch, falling...

Dow, S&P 500 Open in Record Territory as Investors Watch For Pinterest, Zoom IPOs

U.S. stocks opened modestly higher Thursday morning as investors weighed a stream of data and economic reports, in the final day of trading this week. (Markets will be closed in observance of Good Friday).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 92 points, or 0.4%, at 26,538, the S&P 500 index advanced 0.2% at 2,904, while the Nasdaq Composite Index traded flat at 7,995.

All three equity gauges were within striking distance of records. Although investors will be tracking the report linked to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference during President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, investors are mostly focused on earnings and the health of the U.S. economy.

Thus far, earnings have been OK, with first-quarter earnings improving somewhat, according to CFRA, which said consensus estimates now call for a 2.3% fall in first-quarter operating earnings per share, or EPIS, up from estimates for a 3% drop ahead of the kickoff of earnings season, but down from the 4.5% increase projected at the end of last year.

On the economic front, jobless claims slipped by 5,000 to 192,000 in the seven days ended April 13, falling to a 50-year low, the government said Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch forecast a 204,000 reading. Separately, A reading of retail sales soared 1.6% last month, the government said Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch expected sales to climb 1.1%.

Gold futures climbed Thursday to mark their highest settlement in a week, buoyed by losses in global stock markets and expectations that the U.S. and China are headed for a prolonged trade dispute.
June gold added $11.20, or 0.9%, to settle at $1,285.40 an ounce on Comex.
Among other precious metals, silver rose 1.2% to $14.62 per ounce, while palladium edged 0.2% higher to $1,316.80. Platinum rose 0.2% to $800.52 an ounce, after touching the lowest since Feb. 15 at $791 earlier in the...

Shares tumbled in Hong Kong and Shanghai on Thursday as traders fret about growing tensions between China and the US, with tech and energy firms among the worst performers.
The Hang Seng Index dived 1.58 percent, or 438.81 points, to 27,267.13.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index sank 1.35 percent, or 39.18 points, to 2,852.52, while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, lost 2.43 percent, or 37.48 points, to 1,503.37.
Source : AFP

Tokyo stocks opened lower on Friday on worries over the US-China trade war as bellicose rhetoric persisted between Washington and Beijing, pushing the safe-haven yen higher against the dollar.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.94 percent, or 199.04 points, to 20,952.10 in early trade, while the broader Topix Index was down 0.86 percent or 13.26 points at 1,527.32.
Source: AFP

Stocks took a beating Thursday as investors worried that a U.S.-China trade war could drag on indefinitely and sap global growth.
The only good news was that the major indexes bounced off their lows in the last hour of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.1% or 286.14 to 25,490.47 . The S&P 500 slumped 1.2% or 34.65 to 2,821.62 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.6% or 122.56 to 7,628.28.
Stocks have succumbed to selling pressure in May after Washington and Beijing engaged in...

Oil prices plunged nearly 6% Thursday in this year's worst drop and the worst fall since the start of OPEC production cuts in December. The escalating U.S.-China trade war and huge crude pileups from weak refiner demand combined to roil the market.
West Texas Intermediate futures, the benchmark for U.S. crude, fell below key $60 per barrel support, settling down $3.51 , or 5.7%, at $57.91 per barrel.
London Brent futures, the global benchmark for oil, lost its $70-per-barrel perch, falling...